Joys and Sorrows
by NekoSama
Summary: Sequel to Painful Memories ---Chapter 9 is up, final chapter. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Joys and Sorrows  
Fanfic by: NekoSama (aka Chris)  
Email: nekosama@ix.netcom.com  
Catagory:Angst  
Rating: PG for violence   
Summary: Sequel to 'Painful Memories'.   
Standard disclaimer: The Invisible Man and all the characters are not mine and are used without permission. I am not getting paid for this.  
  
  
  
A/N: This begins a month after Painful Memories ended.  
  
  
  
Bobby hugged Marie close to him as they left the courthouse. Her father's trial had finally ended and he was found guilty of assault, rape, and attempted murder. He was sentenced to 20 years in the Orange County Penitentiary.  
  
Darien, Claire and Alex followed them out.   
  
"I'm glad it's finally over," Marie whispered as the tears ran down her cheeks.  
  
"It's alright, baby," Bobby ran his hand down her cheek brushing her tears away.   
  
"Yeah, he won't be able to hurt you ever again," Darien pointed out. He knew that her father would have it very hard where he was being sent. "Besides, you two have better things to think about now."  
  
"Right. In one more week you'll be Mrs. Hobbes," Bobby smiled at her.  
  
"Hmmmm, I like the sound of that," Marie gave Bobby a quick kiss.  
  
He kissed her back enjoying the sweet taste of her lips and mouth. They broke apart after a minute remembering they were still in public.  
  
Claire had stiffened a little seeing them kiss. She knew that Bobby really loved Marie, but she still felt regret for not telling him how she felt. She'd been even more surprised when Bobby asked her to be in his wedding.  
  
He asked her after he'd gotten out of the hospital from being stabbed by Marie's father. It was going to end up being a very small ceremony since neither Marie or Bobby wanted to go through with planning a big wedding.  
  
"You ok?" Alex asked her.  
  
"I'm fine," she replied following Alex to her car.  
  
Marie and Bobby left in her car. Darien had his car, and Claire and Alex were in Alex's car.   
  
The Official was allowing Bobby to have the rest of the day off, but Darien needed to go back to the Keep for a shot. Alex had some things she needed to work on in her office.  
  
"So, what would you like to do tonight," Bobby asked Marie as they drove off.  
  
"I think I just want to stay in tonight. You and I haven't had too much time to be alone together the last two weeks, with the trial and your job," she told him.  
  
"Sounds good to me, and since it's Friday we can have the whole weekend to ourselves," he added.  
  
"Exactly," she took his hand and squeezed it gently.  
  
  
****  
  
"Would you calm down, Bobby," Darien rolled his eyes as he watched Bobby pacing.  
  
"I am calm!"  
  
"Sure, you're about to wear a hole in the carpet," Darien teased.  
  
"I tend to agree, Robert," Eberts joined in.  
  
"Fine," Bobby snapped sitting down on a chair.  
  
"Don't worry Hobbes, everything is ready," the Official added calmly.  
  
Bobby couldn't help being nervous. He never thought that he'd ever get married again after Vivian, but here he was tux and all.  
  
Marie's backyard was all set up with chairs, flowers, and an arch covered with ribbons and flowers. Everyone was already seated, waiting for the ceremony to begin.   
  
There weren't that many people there, mostly friends. Bobby even invited Vivian and Brock.  
  
"Come on buddy, show time," Darien reminded Bobby and then gave him a low five.  
  
Bobby stood under the archway with the man performing the ceremony. The Official had gotten a judge who he was friends with to do it.  
  
Marie giggled nervously as Lucie finished attaching her veil. "I can't believe this day is finally here."  
  
"I'm so happy for you," Lucie squealed hugging her gently.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure you and Bobby will be happy," Claire smiled. She'd finally decided to accept this. As long as Bobby was with someone he loved who loved him back, she could be happy for him.  
  
They looked up as The Official knocked on the door.  
  
"We'll be right out," Lucie called.  
  
The music began to play as Claire walked down the aisle with Eberts. Lucie and Darien followed them. Finally Marie came down with the Official.  
  
Bobby's heart skipped a beat as he saw Marie. He went over and took her hand and the Official sat next to Alex in the front row.  
  
Neither of them heard too much of what the judge was saying as they gazed into each other's eyes. The rings were exchanged and finally they were able to say 'I do.'  
  
"You may kiss the bride," he said.  
  
Bobby leaned forward and pressed his lips against Marie's. The kiss was soft and sweet and they lingered together happily.  
  
"I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hobbes," the judge stated proudly.  
  
Everyone stood up and clapped as Bobby and Marie walked back down the aisle. The reception followed immediately after the ceremony and was being held at a nearby restaurant.  
  
Bobby and Marie got in the limo and snuggled together.   
  
Before the rest of the bridal party could get into the car the driver slammed the door shut and took off.   
  
"Sweet dreams, Mr. and Mrs. Hobbes," the familiar voice of Jared Stark came from a speaker phone as the back of the limo filled with sleeping gas.  
  
Bobby coughed and tried to get the door open, but the driver had set the locks on the doors. "Stark! You bastard..." he coughed. "Marie... baby, I'm sorry..." he held her close as the gas took effect.   
  
Marie was asleep a moment later.  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Feedback is welcome...  



	2. Chapter 2

Disclainer in Part 1  
  
  
Darien and the others came running to the sidewalk as the   
limo pulled off. They had all been lagging behind talking for a   
moment to give Bobby and Marie a few minutes alone in the limo.  
  
"What the HELL is going on?" Darien shouted.  
  
"I got the plate number," Alex replied.   
  
Luckily Bobby's van was parked at Marie's place. He'd been   
slowly moving things from his place to hers since she actually owned   
a house.  
  
Alex got in the van and started typing on the computer.   
  
Darien paced back and forth. He'd wanted to go after the   
limo, but they had sped away so quickly that he didn't have a chance   
at all of catching them. He was surprised Alex had been able to get   
the number at all.  
  
Alex emerged a few minutes later.  
  
"So, do you know who nabbed them?" Darien asked.  
  
"Well, it was registered to The Taurus Corporation," she   
sighed heavily.  
  
"Aw Crap! That's one of Chrysalis' new fronts," Darien yelled   
combing his fingers through his hair.  
  
"Fawkes, don't worry. We'll get them back," Alex tried to   
reassure him.  
  
"I say we go there now," Darien said in a low serious   
tone. "Stark's gone way too far again."  
  
"No one is doing anything at this moment," The Official   
barked."If you go in there all gung-ho you're just gonna end up   
getting killed. We need to wait and see what they want first."   
  
"What?!? Are you insane? He just kidnaped Bobby AND Marie and   
you just expect us to sit on our hands waiting for a phone call?"   
Darien practically screamed.  
  
"I have to agree with Fawkes," Alex chimed in.   
  
"Sir, you can't really be planning to negotiate with that   
man," Claire spoke up. A chill had gone through her the moment Alex   
mentioned Chrysalis.  
  
"And I also--" Eberts started.  
  
"Shut up Eberts!" The Official snapped. "Alright Fawkes and   
Monroe, what exactly are you two planning to do?"  
  
  
****  
  
  
Bobby slowly blinked his eyes as the gas wore off. He   
realized that he was strapped down to a chair similar to the one in   
the Keep.  
  
He glanced around the room and noted that he was alone. "Aw   
crap!" he swore.  
  
Stark same into the room followed by the large goon that was   
always around whenever Stark needed him.  
  
"Good evening, Agent Hobbes," Stark greeted him.  
  
"Where's Marie?" he hissed.  
  
"She's safe, for now," Stark answered.  
  
"If you lay one hand on her I swear I will kill you," Bobby   
threatened.  
  
"I don't think you're in any position to be making threats,"   
Stark warned him. "But don't worry I just want some information. As   
soon as I have what I need I'll let both of you go."  
  
"You really think I'm stupid enough to believe you," Bobby   
countered.  
  
Stark just sighed. "I give you my word. Unlike Mr. Fawkes, I   
keep my promises. I just want all of the information you know about   
your Agency and Miss Monroe," he was curious what she'd figured out   
about the child she thought was hers.  
  
"I'm not telling you anything," Bobby insisted.  
  
Stark nodded at the large man and the man hit Bobby in the   
stomach hard causing him to gasp for air and wince in pain.  
  
"Bobby Hobbes... is torture resistant," he coughed.  
  
"Hmmm... I guess you need a bit more incentive," he picked up   
the phone from the wall and dialed a 3 digit extension. "Yes, bring   
the package into the small lab."  
  
Bobby's eyes flew open in shock as Marie was wheeled in on a   
small gurney that she was also restrained on. "You son of a bitch!   
Let her go!"  
  
"Bobby? What's going on?" Marie cried out.  
  
"It's gonna be ok, baby," he tried to comfort her.  
  
"Now, Mr. Hobbes, are you going to tell me what I need to   
know?"  
  
Bobby was torn. He was trained to resist torture and NEVER   
give away any vital information, but he loved Marie and would hate   
himself if she got hurt because of him.  
  
Stark was amused by the tortured look on Hobbes' face. "I'm   
not gonna ask you again, Mr. Hobbes."  
  
Marie was beyond terrified. What could be so important in the   
Department of Health and Human Services that they would kidnap Bobby   
for? She'd been very surprised when he'd finally admitted that he no   
longer worked for the Department of Fish and Game. He never spoke to   
her much about his job.  
  
She knew there was something odd about Darien, but she didn't   
ask. He'd saved Bobby's life with that weird thing he did so she   
hadn't bothered to ask about it.  
  
Stark crossed the room shaking his head. "I'm very   
disappointed, Agent Hobbes," he picked up a syringe off the counter.   
It was filled with a yellowish-green liquid. He walked over to Marie   
standing over her.  
  
Bobby struggled against the straps. "Leave her alone, you   
sick bastard!"  
  
Stark just smiled and injected the fluid into her arm causing   
her to scream. "So, about the information I requested," he restated.  
  
Marie's face became very pale and she went limp a minute   
later.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Bobby raged.  
  
"Don't worry, she's not dead. It was just a tiny amount of   
poison mixed with a narcotic. If you co-operate I'll give her the   
antidote and you can both go on your way," he offered. "It's your   
choice now."  
  
  
TBC....  
  
Feedback is welcome...  
  
A/N: This is also set as if 'THe Choice' has not occurred yet.  



	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer in part 1.  
  
  
  
The tears streamed down Bobby's face as he realized what his only option was. After all they'd been through he couldn't allow her to get hurt anymore. If she died he wouldn't want to go on living.  
  
"Fine, Stark. I'll talk, but I want to see the antidote first," he insisted. If Stark was playing him about having an antidote there'd be hell to pay.  
  
"You sound as if you don't trust me," Stark smirked.  
  
"Why should I? You're the bad guy, remember," Bobby reminded him.  
  
"Not really, but we can discuss that another time," Stark walked back over to the counter where he'd gotten the first injection and picked up a second syringe containing a purple liquid. "Satisfied?"  
  
Bobby nodded and took a deep breath. An alarm sounded as he opened his mouth to speak.  
  
Stark looked over at his goon. "Go see what's going on!" he yelled.  
  
The man rolled his eyes and left the room. He was getting sick of being ordered around by Stark.  
  
Stark glared at Bobby. "It looks like we might have company very soon, Mr. Hobbes," he placed the syringe with the antidote in his pocket. "We'll have to move to a different location, I'm afraid."   
  
Bobby looked over at Marie, who was so pale. She seemed to only barely be breathing. "What are-" he was cut off as Stark pointed his own gun in his face.  
  
"I'm going to undo these straps and you're going to walk in front of me calmly," he told Bobby.  
  
"What about Marie?" he asked.  
  
Before Stark could answer him he flew backwards, punched by an unseen force. Bobby's gun went skidding across the floor. Stark sat up rubbing his jaw.  
  
Alex and Darien came into view as the quicksilver dissolved.   
  
Alex stood over Stark her gun pointed at his head. "You're not getting away this time," she hissed.  
  
Darien quickly undid the straps on Bobby's arms and legs. "You ok man?" he asked.  
  
"I'm fine," Bobby rushed to Marie's side. He undid her binds and shook her gently. "Marie, baby, come on," he coaxed her.  
  
Her skin was so pale and too warm.  
  
"Give me the antidote now!" Bobby shouted as he walked over to Stark.  
  
Stark reached into his pocket for the syringe and hissed as he cut his finger on the broken glass.   
  
Bobby paled when he saw the liquid stain on Stark's pocket and the cut finger confirming his fear. "You'd better tell me that wasn't the only sample of antidote," he raged.  
  
Darien stood over by Marie letting everything sink in. "Antidote? What did you do, Stark?"   
  
Alex trained her gun on Stark's head. "You should start talking before I put a bullet in your brain."  
  
Stark gave both Alex and Bobby a sideways glance. "If you kill me then you won't get the antidote at all. I'd say we should compromise, my life for hers," he offered.  
  
Bobby had just about enough of his crap. He lunged forward and kicked Stark in the stomach, hard. He kicked him twice more before Darien finally pulled him off.  
  
"Let me go! Damnit!" Bobby struggled in Darien's grasp.  
  
"You tell us right now Stark, or I let him finish what he started," Darien snapped.  
  
Stark stared at Darien for a moment. He could see that he wasn't bluffing about letting Hobbes kill him. "Second drawer to the left," he coughed.  
  
Alex backed up slowly not letting Stark out of her sight. She kept her gun pointed at him and opened the drawer reaching inside. She pulled out a vial filled with the purple liquid Bobby had seen earlier.   
  
"How can we be sure that's not poison?" Darien asked.  
  
"I know a way," Alex smiled. She took two syringes and put a small amount in the first one. She walked over to Stark and brought the needle to his neck.   
  
Stark sat perfectly still as she moved to inject him. He winced as the needle was inserted, but other than the pain of the needle breaking the skin he seemed ok.  
  
Darien relaxed his grip on Bobby and Alex handed Bobby the second syringe filled with the liquid.  
  
Bobby went back to Marie and gave her the antidote. He cradled her in his arms the tears flowing freely now.  
  
After a few minutes Marie still hadn't woken up. "Why isn't she awake yet?" Darien snarled at Stark.  
  
"It takes time," he answered.  
  
Before anyone could comment again Stark's men entered the room guns raised.  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Feedback is welcome...  



	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer in part 1  
  
  
Alex put her gun to Stark's head. "Drop your weapons, or I put a bullet in his brain," she ordered.  
  
The men stared at her and then at Stark.  
  
"Do what she says," Stark told them. He'd read her file and knew that she would have no problem killing him if she had to.  
  
They set their guns down and backed away.  
  
Bobby lifted Marie's pale limp form off the bed. "Let's go."  
  
Darien nodded and glared at Stark hatefully. "We're all gonna walk out of this room together."  
  
"You guys try anything and I kill him," Alex added to that pushing Stark in front of her after slapping the cuffs on him.  
  
They walked to the elevators quickly and soon they were outside where Claire was waiting in the van.   
  
"Thank God," she whispered as she saw them emerge from the building. She had a shot of counteragent all ready for Darien.  
  
Alex took Stark to her car so she could take him in.   
  
Darien followed Bobby to the van and he helped him get Marie into the back.  
  
"Oh my God! What happened?" Claire cried out as she saw Marie's pallor. She quickly checked her pulse. It was very rapid and irregular.  
  
Bobby just held her tightly as Claire looked her over. "Stark... the bastard... he..." he could barely get the words out between the sobs.  
  
"He poisoned her," Darien finished for him.  
  
"Bloody hell! Darien, let me give you your shot. Then you can drive to the hospital," she pulled the syringe out of her purse.  
  
Darien nodded and sat still while she gave him the shot. "She's gonna be all right, Bobby," he tried to reassure him before going up front to drive.  
  
"Bobby, I'm sorry," Claire put her hand on his arm to comfort him.  
  
"I gave her the antidote. Why isn't it working?" he growled.  
  
"We'll be at the hospital soon," Claire said. "I'm sure she'll be fine."  
  
Bobby cradled Marie in his arms the whole ride saying very little. At least they had Stark in custody now. He would pay. Bobby would see to it that he did.  
  
The ten minute drive seemed to take an hour and Marie still hadn't woken up. Bobby carried her into the hospital and the ER attendants got her on a bed and rolled her into the ER.  
  
"What happened?" the doctor asked as he looked her over.  
  
"She was injected with poison and then given an antidote, but she's still unconscious," Bobby told the man.  
  
"Do you know what she was injected with?"  
  
"I don't have a clue, but I did bring a sample of both substances," he'd picked up both syringes and put them in his pocket. They still contained a small amount.  
  
"That's good. We can try and analyze both to determine what they are," the doctor informed him. "I'm gonna start her on an IV to keep her hydrated and to make it easier for us to give her any meds she may need."  
  
Bobby slumped in the chair next to her bed.  
  
"Is there anything else that we need to know about her medical background?"  
  
"She's three months pregnant," Bobby mentioned. He'd forgotten about that when Stark had injected her. "Oh man... the baby..." the tears welled up again.  
  
The doctor gave a small nod and took the sample to the lab. "I need this analyzed A.S.A.P."  
  
The lab tech took the syringes and got to work on them.  
  
Darien and Claire sat in the waiting room. Neither of them said much. After about 30 minutes Darien started to pace.  
  
"Darien, please stop that. It's making my nerves even worse," Claire pleaded with him.  
  
"I'm sorry, Claire. I just... it seems to be taking forever," he ran his fingers through his hair and sat back down.  
  
"Well, at least Stark didn't get away," she tried to sooth both his and her nerves. "And she'll be fine."  
  
"You keep saying that, but..." Darien thought for a moment and then his eyes went wide. "Aw Crap!"  
  
"What's wrong, Darien?"  
  
"Something else just popped into my head. Marie's three months pregnant," he put his face in his hands.  
  
"Oh no!" Claire exclaimed. That could be a very bad thing. She trailed her hand through his hair and then put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.   
  
Darien looked over at Claire for a moment before embracing her gently. They had both been fighting off tears that were now flowing freely.  
  
Bobby came out to the waiting room after another 2 hours had passed. His eyes were swollen and red his face very pale. He almost collapsed into the chair next to Darien.  
  
"Bobby?" Darien put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"What did the doctors say?" Claire asked not sure she wanted to hear the answer because of how he looked.  
  
"They were able to counteract the poison. The antidote Stark gave us wasn't one..." Bobby trailed off for a moment. "They need to watch over her to make sure it's out of her system, but they are unsure right now about... about... the baby..." he stopped overcome by the sadness.  
  
Darien put his arms around Bobby and held him tight unsure of what to say.  
  
"I'm gonna go talk to the doctor for a moment," Claire put a sympathetic hand on his should before leaving.  
  
TBC...  
  
Feedback is Welcome...  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer in Part 1...  
  
  
  
Claire spoke to the doctor for a few minutes trying to get any additional information on Marie's condition.   
  
The news wasn't very comforting. At the moment they had no idea how badly the poison would effect the baby. They took blood and tissue samples, but they still would not have any way to know if it would live or die.  
  
Claire came back over to where Bobby and Darien were sitting. Darien still had his arm around Bobby's shoulders.  
  
Bobby looked up at her hopefully.  
  
She sighed and stood next to him. "He said that they have her set up in a room now and you can go see her," she told him not wanting to tell him the rest.  
  
"Claire... please... tell me what he said," he stared at her with his intense brown eyes.  
  
"They still have no way of knowing if the baby will live or not. It's just too early to tell," she said placing a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Bobby nodded. "Do they know if it's a boy or a girl yet?" for some reason he really wanted to know.  
  
Claire gave a smile small. "Yes, they do. It's a girl."  
  
Bobby's chest ached a little hearing that. If things did go well he'd have a daughter. He'd always wanted a little girl. "What room is she in?"  
  
"243."  
  
He stood up shakily and gave Claire a quick hug. "Thank you."  
  
Darien gazed up at Claire. He felt awful for Hobbes, and angry at Stark. 'He wont get away with this,' he thought menacingly.  
  
Claire caught the glint of anger in Darien's gaze and agreed with him wholeheartedly. There was no reason for Stark to have done that.   
  
"I'll be here if you need me, partner," Darien called as Bobby left to see his wife.  
  
"Thanks, partner," Bobby called back to him.  
  
Alex finally arrived at the hospital. "So, how's everything going?"  
  
Darien and Claire gave her the update.  
  
"That bastard! I can't believe he actually thought he could get away with giving her a fake antidote," Alex snapped.  
  
"Well, he's not getting away at all," Darien told her.  
  
"Right now he's locked in the padded room with three guards outside at all times and two guards at the main entrance to the building."  
  
"Good," Darien knew that once Bobby was feeling up to it he would be ready to 'interrogate' Stark. And no one in this room would stop him.  
  
  
****  
  
Marie woke up and winced. She had a nasty headache. She blinked her eyes several times to adjust to the bright lights. 'Where am I?' she thought. The last thing she remembered was getting married and... the memories flooded back to her.  
  
She and Bobby with some man. He wanted information from Bobby... he injected her with something... the burning sensation... followed by the blackness...  
  
"Bobby..." she saw him sitting next to her bed. He'd fallen asleep in the chair.  
  
Bobby jolted awake and took her hand into his. "Hey, baby. How do you feel?"  
  
"Tired and my head hurts. What happened?"  
  
He looked away for a moment.  
  
"Bobby, what's wrong with me?" she asked noting that he was trying to avoid her gaze.  
  
"Nothing, the doc says you're gonna be fine," he squeezed her hand.  
  
"What are you not telling me?"  
  
Bobby stopped and looked at her. It was killing him that he had to tell her this, but she was gonna find out sooner or later and he'd rather she heard it from him. "It's the baby... you were injected with some kind of poison and they aren't sure..." he trailed off as her face crumpled with grief.  
  
"Tell me," she said quietly letting the tears run down her cheeks.  
  
"They don't know if she's gonna be alright or not," he finished as he held her tightly.  
  
"She?"  
  
"Yeah, baby, it's a girl."  
  
Marie felt several things all at once her mind was racing with questions. "When can I go home?"  
  
"They didn't say yet. I guess they wanted to make sure you checked out ok before letting you go," he sighed.  
  
Marie nodded and held onto Bobby. "Did they arrest the guy who did this?"  
  
"Yeah, he's in custody."  
  
"Good."  
  
Bobby kissed her softly running his fingers through her hair. Now that he knew she was awake and more or less alright he could deal with Stark.  
  
  
****  
  
  
Arnaud walked inside the Agency undetected. He really didn't want to do this, but if he helped Stark now he'd be able to hold this over him for a long time.  
  
He knocked out the guard outside the padded room and opened the door.  
  
Stark looked up and saw the guards on the floor.   
  
"Come on, monsieur," Arnaud said tossing a gun at Stark.  
  
Stark smiled taking the gun with him. As they got near the entrance Arnaud went ahead and knock out the two men there and he and Stark escaped the building.  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Feedback is welcome...  



	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer in Part 1  
  
  
  
Bobby noticed that Alex had joined Darien and Claire in the waiting room. "Where's Stark?" he asked.  
  
"He's in the padded room," Alex told him.  
  
"He and I need to have a little 'talk' about a few things," Bobby almost growled. Stark had lied about the antidote and he was gonna pay big time.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this right now?" Alex asked noting how tired he looked, not to mention that he was still wearing his tux. "Stark's not going anywhere."  
  
Bobby just glared a her for a moment.  
  
"Easy there, partner," Darien stepped between the two of them. He understood that once the 'little tiger' was set on doing something it was nearly impossible to call him off. "Come on, man. I'll drive you back to the Agency," and he led Bobby and Claire out to the van.  
  
Alex snorted her disapproval, but she followed them without voicing any further objections.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
"Thank you, Arnaud," Stark said as they got back to the Taurus building. "It should be awhile before we hear from the Agency. Too bad I had to give Mrs. Hobbes the antidote before I was able to get any useful information."  
  
Arnaud raised an eyebrow. 'He actually believed that I gave him the REAL antidote for that poison,' he thought. "Yes, well, I'll be going home for now."  
  
"By all means," Stark was glad Arnaud was leaving. It still unnerved him a little whenever Arnaud was around without his artificial skin on.  
  
Arnaud sat down in his car as a plan formed in his mind. He knew of a way to get rid of Stark for good. The Agency would never believe that Stark didn't have anything to do with his next act. And when Stark was out of the way he could take over Chrysalis and deal with the Agency himself.  
  
  
****  
  
  
Darien knew something was wrong when they got back to the office. "Hey, Alex," he called as she got out of her car. "I thought you said there were two guards posted at the main door."  
  
"There should be," Alex snapped. "They probably went to grab some coffee," she didn't like the tone in Fawkes' voice. He was becoming as paranoid as Hobbes.  
  
Bobby rushed inside after hearing Darien's comment about the guards. "NO! This can't be happening!" he shouted seeing the two men who were sprawled on the floor just starting to come around.  
  
"Hobbes, wait!" Darien yelled seeing his partner running down the hallway gun drawn. He glanced at the men making sure they were ok before chasing after Bobby.  
  
"No no no no no no no!" Bobby punched the wall hard at sight that greeted him.   
  
The three men outside the padded room were also on the floor. One of them had a broken neck, but the other two were still alive.  
  
Bobby grabbed the one agent and threw him against the wall. "What happened? How could you let HIM escape?" he put his gun under the man's throat.  
  
"I... we... were.." he stuttered.  
  
"ANSWER ME!!" Bobby growled.  
  
"Hobbes! Take it easy!" Darien pulled him off the terrified agent.  
  
"Take it easy?!? The son of a bitch who almost killed my wife and child has escaped and you want me to take it easy?" Bobby tried to squirm out of Darien's grasp.  
  
"Bobby, please," Darien tried to reason with him as he tightened his grip. "How did he get away?" he asked the agent that Hobbes had been about ready to kill.  
  
"Philips got smacked into the wall... I heard his neck break when he hit... then something punched me in the face, but I didn't see anyone there at all. I just felt the cold from the blow..." he explained quickly.  
  
"Aw crap! Arnaud..." Darien shook his head releasing his hold on Hobbes.  
  
"Arnaud? Why would Arnaud help Stark?" Bobby leaned against the wall.  
  
"I don't know, Bobby. Arnaud isn't the type who plays well with others. The only reason I can think of is they offered to trade information in exchange for fixing his gland," Darien ran his fingers through his hair.  
  
Bobby turned and started back down the hall.  
  
"Hobbes, where are you going?" Darien raced in front of him blocking his path.  
  
"Get out of my way, Fawkes!"  
  
"No way, my friend."  
  
"Fawkes..." Bobby glared at Darien. "He's not gonna just get away again!"  
  
"Hobbes, you can't just go chasing after him. We can get a warrant for his arrest," Darien couldn't believe he actually said 'warrant' but he knew that Hobbes would never be able to get near Stark without one.   
  
"He's right," Alex agreed. "Fawkes and I were lucky when we got you out of there. They'll have tightened security by now."  
  
"How would Marie feel if you went in there and got yourself killed?" Darien pointed out.  
  
"Fine. Get the damn thing," Bobby told them.  
  
Alex nodded. "Give me half an hour."  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Feedback is Welcome...  



	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer in Part 1...  
  
  
  
Arnaud pulled up to the hospital and parked in a fairly vacant area of the lot. He walked inside and over to the nurse's station. He quickly located which room Hobbes' wife was in while the nurse was distracted.  
  
He went into the dispensary and took a few vials and syringes placing them in a small bag and quicksilvering the bag.  
  
Marie yawned as she flipped through the channels. She ran her hand over the small bulge in her stomach. "It's ok baby, you're going to be fine," she crooned. She looked up as the door to her room opened. "Hello?" she called frowning to see no one there.  
  
Arnaud smiled seeing the woman on the bed. 'Monsieur Hobbes has good taste in women,' he thought. He glanced at the chart at the foot of her bed. 'She's pregnant? Interesting. I think I will change my plans.'  
  
Marie poured herself a glass of water and took a small sip before setting the cup down. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt something very cold grip her mouth. She tried to scream but whatever is was blocked the sound.  
  
"Calm yourself, chere. I'm not going to hurt you," Arnaud spoke softly into her ear.  
  
Marie tried to hit the nurse call button but another very cold thing gripped her wrist tightly.  
  
"Now, my dear, I'm going to give you a little injection and you'll just fall asleep. I promise you won't be harmed," Arnaud told her. He pulled her arm up to his hand that was over her mouth so he could grab the syringe.   
  
Marie squirmed in his arms trying to free herself.  
  
Arnaud took her head into an even firmer hold. "I don't want to hurt you, but if you continue this I'm going to snap your neck. Do you understand?"  
  
Marie nodded.  
  
"Good," Arnaud filled the syringe and jabbed it into her neck.  
  
Marie's eyes rolled back into her head as the sedative took effect.  
  
Arnaud picked her up gently and placed her on a wheelchair. He checked the hallway to make sure it was clear and rolled her over to the staircase. He carried her down the flight of stairs. He made sure the short hall to the back exit was empty and took her out to his car and drove away.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
Bobby paced outside Alex's office.   
  
"Hobbes, calm down. Stark's not going to get away," Darien put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"He already did, Fawkes," Bobby glared at him.  
  
"We'll get him back. Don't worry," Darien said.  
  
Bobby opened his mouth to comment as Alex emerged from her office. "Well?"  
  
"I got it Hobbes. The police are gonna meet us at the Taurus building," she pulled on her jacket.  
  
"Let's go," Bobby took off down the hallway.  
  
  
****  
  
  
Hobbes had never driven so fast in his life. He had to get this bastard NOW! He saw the two police cars waiting as he pulled into the parking lot of the Taurus building.  
  
"Ok, we do this by the book," Alex said as she hopped out of the van.  
  
"Whatever," Hobbes grumbled under his breath.  
  
Darien raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. He was not gonna get in Bobby's way if he ended up getting to Stark first.  
  
The guards at the front door hit the alarm when they saw them coming.   
  
Stark gazed at the security camera from his computer terminal. "Great, now what?" he decided to make himself scarce.  
  
Alex and the two police officers subdued the guards allowing Darien and Bobby to go after Stark.   
  
"You take the front elevators and I'll take the back one," Bobby snapped.  
  
"Right," Darien ran forward to the elevator.  
  
Stark jumped into the back elevator which led to the underground parking garage. He cursed as the elevator slowed and stopped on the first floor.  
  
"Hands in the air, RIGHT NOW!" Bobby shouted aiming his gun at Stark's head.  
  
Stark raised his arms sneering at Hobbes as he did so.  
  
"You thought you could get away with trying to kill my wife?" he growled punching Stark in the gut before putting the cuffs on him.  
  
*cough* "What are you talking about? I gave you the antidote," Stark spat.  
  
"You lied to me. And that lie almost killed my wife!" Bobby hit him again dragging him out of the elevator.  
  
Stark just stared at Hobbes. Arnaud... Arnaud had screwed him over. "I thought it was an antidote. Arnaud made the poison and--"  
  
"Save it!" Bobby cut him off pulling him down the hallway. He thrust him over to the police officers. "Take him in."  
  
The cops nodded and took Stark out to their car.  
  
Bobby leaned against the desk.  
  
"You ok, Hobbes?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yeah, just tired. I'm gonna stop by the hospital and check on Marie before I go home. Can you drive the van?"  
  
"No problem," Darien took the keys from Bobby.  
  
  
****  
  
  
"I'm gonna grab a cup of coffee," Darien told Bobby as he walked to the elevator.  
  
"Alright. I'll meet you back here in twenty minutes," Bobby sighed and pressed the button for floor 2.  
  
He walked down the hallway to Marie's room. There was only one nurse on duty right now. He stopped dead in his tracks when he entered her room. Her bed was empty the IV pole still sitting next to the bed. He knocked on the bathroom door and opened it when he didn't get an answer.  
  
His mind raced with terror. Something must have gone wrong with the baby and they took her to surgery. He ran down the hall and grabbed the nurse. "Where is she?"  
  
"Sir, what's wrong? Who are you looking for?"  
  
"My wife. Marie Hobbes. She's not in her room. Where is she?" he practically screamed.  
  
"I don't know. Let me check her chart," she quickly looked over the patient charts.  
  
Darien came upstairs with two cups of coffee. He figured Hobbes could probably use some. He rushed out of the elevator as he heard Hobbes screaming at a nurse. 'Oh great? Now what?'  
  
"She should be in her room, sir," the nurse told him.  
  
"Well, she's not! I was just there!" Hobbes shouted.  
  
"Sir, if you could just calm down-"  
  
"Hobbes, what going on?" Darien asked.  
  
"Marie's not in her room!" Bobby ran his hands over his head.  
  
"What? Where is she?"  
  
"I don't know! I went down there and she was gone."  
  
"Look, stay here. I'll be right back," Darien went down to the room. He looked around for anything that might give him a clue. He spotted a syringe in the trash can next to the bed. He grabbed a Kleenex and picked it up.  
  
Bobby was gripping the nurse's desk to keep from collapsing.  
  
"I think I found something," Darien said as he came back down the hall.  
  
"What?"  
  
"This was in the trash can next to her bed. I could take it back to the Keep and have Claire look at it."  
  
"How do you know that it wasn't a med one of the nurses gave her?" Bobby asked.  
  
"We always put those in the sharps dispenser," the nurse answered for him.  
  
Bobby nodded. "I'll call Claire and have her meet us at the lab."  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
Feedback is Welcome...  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer in Chapter 1  
  
  
  
Claire met Bobby and Darien at the lab twenty minutes after she received the call.  
  
Bobby was sitting on the chair his head buried in his hands while Darien paced back and forth.  
  
"Hey there Keep," Darien said as she entered the lab.  
  
"Where's the syringe?" she asked sitting her purse down on a counter.  
  
"Right here," Darien held up a plastic bag that contained the syringe.  
  
"How long is this gonna take?" Bobby snapped.  
  
"I'm not sure. It shouldn't take me too long to analyze the substance," Claire told him noting the anger in his voice.  
  
Bobby just leaned back in the chair and let the tears run down his cheeks. How could things have gone so badly. Hadn't he and Marie been through enough?  
  
Darien gazed at his partner. He knew Bobby was a wreck right now. He figured that he hadn't taken his meds since this whole thing started and he knew that he also hadn't slept in over 38 hours.  
  
"I need to get something from lab two. I'll be right back," Claire said as she walked out of the Keep.  
  
Darien followed her out the door and pulled her aside after it closed. "Claire, Bobby isn't doing too good right now. Do you have something we can give him, just so he can get a few hours of sleep?"  
  
"Yes, Darien, I do have some sedatives, but I don't think he's going to take anything," Claire pointed out.  
  
"Yeah, well I didn't say he'd take them willingly. I'm thinking we could give him a shot. If he doesn't sleep soon he's gonna collapse," Darien urged.  
  
"Alright, I'll get the sedative ready. You go back and keep him calm until I return."  
  
"Thanks, Keep," Darien hugged her quickly and went in to keep and eye on Bobby.  
  
Claire grabbed the equipment she needed and went back to the Keep. She set the syringe down, then set down a second syringe and nodded at Darien.  
  
Darien caught the look and picked up the needle.   
  
Bobby was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. "What are you doing, Fawkes?" he asked as Darien approached him.  
  
"Relax, Bobby," Darien said.  
  
Bobby was too tired to fight as Darien injected him with the sedative. He passed out a moment later.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
Claire had brought a cot into the lab so Darien could get some sleep as well while she looked over the sample. She woke him up a few hours later.  
  
"I have some good news and some bad news," she sighed.  
  
"What is it, Claire?"  
  
"The syringe contained a mild sedative, but I also found traces of quicksilver on it," she explained.  
  
"Aw crap!" Darien swore. Arnaud had Marie. This was bad, very bad.   
  
  
  
****  
  
  
Bobby groaned as he woke up. He had a huge headache from whatever Fawkes had injected him with. He saw Claire and Darien talking at the other side of the room. "What's going on?"   
  
"Hobbes! Hey man, how're you feeling?" Darien came over to him putting a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Crappy. What did you inject me with?" he growled slapping Darien's hand away.  
  
"It was just a mild sedative," Claire told him. "We were afraid that if you didn't get some sleep that you would end up collapsing from all the stress."  
  
Bobby frowned and listened as they told him what Claire had found in and on the syringe. He got up off the chair, grabbed his coat and headed for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Darien asked as he followed him down the hallway.  
  
"To have a little 'chat' with Stark. He's gonna tell me where Arnaud is," he rushed down the hall and out to the van.  
  
"Ok, I'm going with you then."  
  
"I don't need your help, Fawkes."  
  
"Maybe not, but I'm not gonna bail on you. You've always been there for me. Besides I have my own score to settle with Arnaud," Darien said.  
  
"Fine. Get in," Hobbes groaned and got in the van.  
  
  
****  
  
  
"I need to talk to Jared Stark," Bobby told the cop who was in charge of the new suspects that have just been booked.  
  
"Do you have some ID?" the cop asked.  
  
Bobby showed him his badge. "This is very important. Someone who works for him has kidnaped one of the witnesses in the case."  
  
The cop nodded. "Have a seat. I'll have him put in a holding room and send someone to come get you."  
  
Bobby took sat down reluctantly. He hated it that he had to wait. Another cop came and got him five minutes late. "I want to do this alone," he told Darien.  
  
"Ok, I'll wait for you here then," Darien paged through a magazine.  
  
Stark rolled his eyes when Hobbes came into the room. He could tell that Hobbes was really pissed and he was handcuffed now.  
  
"Where's Arnaud?" Bobby snarled.  
  
"I don't know where he is. Why do you care?"  
  
Bobby pulled Stark out of the chair and threw him into a wall. "He kidnaped my wife. Now, you are gonna tell where he is, or I swear I will make your life a living hell."  
  
"I really have no idea where he is. I didn't know he took--"  
  
"Don't you fricking lie to me!" Bobby cut him off punching him in the jaw. "Where is that Swiss miss mother?"  
  
"I DON'T KNOW!" Stark screamed back at him.  
  
Bobby punched him in the stomach. He drew his fist back to land another punch when it was grabbed and pulled up behind his back. "Let go of me, Fawkes!"  
  
"Not til you calm down a little. Stark, you better come clean right now or I'll kill you myself," Darien snapped.  
  
"I do NOT have any idea where he is," Stark said slowly wincing from the pain.  
  
Darien could tell that Stark wasn't lying. Even Stark had a survival instinct. "You better be telling the truth or we'll be back," he glared right at Stark and led Bobby out of the room.  
  
"How are we supposed to find Arnaud?" Bobby hissed at Darien.  
  
"I'm not sure, but I know Stark wouldn't hold back information just to save Arnaud. Let's go back to the Agency and see if we can pick up any leads on Arnaud's whereabouts."  
  
"Alright, partner."  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
Arnaud was very good at keeping himself hidden. He had contacts that would alert him whenever the Agency was getting close. Stark was in prison now, and Arnaud thought it couldn't have happened to a nicer person.  
  
He took very good care of Marie. He was very curious the effect his poison would have on her unborn child.  
  
At the beginning of her seventh month she went into labor. Arnaud tried everything he could to stop it, but in the end he knew he was gonna have to deliver the baby early.  
  
He gave Marie strong pain killers. He didn't like hearing her scream and he needed to keep a clear head.   
  
"Merde!" he swore when her realized she was losing too much blood. He bundled her up and dropped her off in the Emergency room so they could save her and the deliver the baby.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
The last four months had been pure hell for Bobby. Every time that he got a lead on Arnaud he slipped through their fingers.   
  
Darien had to keep a close eye on Hobbes to make sure he would get at least a few hours of sleep each day and kept up with his meds.  
  
Bobby almost jumped out of his skin when the phone rang in his office. "Bobby Hobbes," he answered.  
  
Darien raised an eyebrow when he saw the expression on Hobbes' face. 'Who is it?' he mouthed to Hobbes.  
  
Bobby just waved his hand and listened attentively. "Thank you. I'll be right there," and he hung up the phone. "That was the hospital. Marie was dropped off in the ER. She's gone into labor..." he trailed off realizing that it was too early for that.  
  
"You want me to drive?" Darien asked noting Bobby's pallor.  
  
He just nodded and they rushed out to the van and sped off to the hospital.  
  
  
****  
  
  
"Where is she?" Bobby shouted to the nurse at the check-in desk.  
  
"Who are you looking for?"  
  
"Marie Hobbes, my wife. I was called and told she was brought in," he said quickly.  
  
"Let me check," she looked in the computer. "I'll inform the doctor you are here. Please have seat."  
  
Darien dragged Bobby over to the waiting area so he wouldn't keep harassing the nurse.  
  
A few minutes later the doctor walked in. "Mr. Hobbes?"  
  
"That's me," Bobby stood up. "What's going on?"  
  
"Your wife was already in labor when she was dropped off here. We were able to deliver the baby, but we had to do a cesarean. The baby is very small and she'll have to be on a respirator until her lungs finish developing, the good news is that she's going to be fine."  
  
"Congrats, partner," Darien patted Bobby on the back.  
  
All the information overwhelmed Bobby and he had to sit back down. "I have a daughter," he whispered getting used to the concept. "How's Marie?"  
  
  
  
TBC...  
  
  
A/N: Here's where I usually say feedback is welcome. Well, I'm having an awful time deciding so I wanted to let my readers decide for me. I want to know if you think Marie should live or die. I can write it either way. Thanks for your input!!  
  
NekoSama  
  



	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer in Part 1  
  
  
  
  
"Well, she'd lost a lot of blood when she was brought in," he started.  
  
Bobby's face drained of all color. "Go on."  
  
"She's in a coma right now. We have her on an IV, hooked up to monitors, and we've replaced the blood she lost. We have no idea when or if she'll come out of it," he finished.  
  
"Can I see her?" Bobby asked, his voice trembling.   
  
  
"In about an hour, she's in recovery right now," he said.  
  
"What about the baby? Can he see her?" Darien spoke up.  
  
"Yes you can. The nursery is on the third floor. You won't be able to hold her, but you can see her."  
  
Bobby nodded and thanked the doctor.  
  
"You want me to go with you, Hobbes?" Darien put his hand on Bobby's shoulder when he stood up.  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that," Bobby gave him a small smile.  
  
Bobby told the nurse at the desk on the maternity ward that he wanted to see his daughter.   
  
She called back to the nursery and pointed him in the right direction.   
  
When he and Darien got to the window the nurse inside had already rolled her incubator over so they could see her.  
  
The tears welled up in Bobby's eyes as he looked at his daughter. She swung her fist and then opened her eyes. She had Bobby's dark brown eyes and Marie's blond hair.  
  
"She's beautiful, Bobby," Darien told him.  
  
"Yes, just like her mother," he placed his hand on the glass and smiled down at her.  
  
"Do you guys have a name picked out?"  
  
"Catherine Elizabeth, we'd picked out names before we got married," Bobby waved at his daughter and then looked at his watch. "It's been an hour, I'm gonna ask if I can see Marie yet."  
  
"Alright, partner. I'll go back to the waiting room," Darien waltzed down the hall and to the elevator. As soon as he sat down he called Claire and then Alex to let them know about Marie and the baby.  
  
Bobby came into Marie's room. He took in a deep breath when he saw her. She had so many wire and tubes sticking out of her and she was very pale. He sat down next to her and laid his head in his hands.   
  
"Marie, baby, you gotta wake up. I don't think I could handle it if you didn't I just saw our daughter and she's gonna be fine," his voice cracked a little. "I love you, sweetheart," he kissed her hand and leaned back in the chair.  
  
  
  
****  
  
  
Bobby made sure that there was at least one guard at Marie's room round the clock. It had been a week and Marie hadn't woken up yet. The doctor told him that he'd be able to take Catherine home in three weeks as long as she kept gaining weight.  
  
Darien had spent the week trying to find Arnaud. He and Hobbes had a huge score to settle with him, especially if Marie died. He didn't like to think about that, but he HAD to at least accept the possibility.  
  
Another week passed and still no leads on Arnaud. Bobby got in the van after he and Fawkes finished their case for the day.  
  
"Going to see Marie?" Darien asked.  
  
"Yeah, and Catherine too. She's gotten so big and the nurses are gonna let me hold her today," he grinned at Darien.  
  
"Wow, that's great!"  
  
Bobby nodded and started the van.  
  
Darien gave him a low five and went to his car to go home.  
  
Bobby went to Marie's room first. "Hey, baby, they're gonna let me hold her today," he said brushing the hair out of her eyes. "You should see how much she's grown," he sat down.  
  
After two weeks he was starting to get nervous. His heart jumped into his throat as Marie blinked her eyes.  
  
"Marie?!?"  
  
"Bo...Bobby... where am I?" her voice was soft and strained.  
  
Bobby hugged her gently. "You're in the hospital," he said the tears beginning to flow.  
  
Marie hugged back then her head started to clear a little. She noticed she no longer had a bulge in her stomach. "The baby... what happened? Is she ok?"  
  
"She's fine, in fact they're gonna let me hold her today," Bobby hit the nurse call button on her bed.  
  
"Finally? How long have I been here?"  
  
"You've been in a coma for two weeks," he explained.  
  
The nurse came into the room and gasped when she saw Marie sitting up and talking. "I'll get the doctor."  
  
"Two weeks?"  
  
Bobby nodded. He told her about what had happened, Arnaud bringing her in, her having the baby and everything else.  
  
The doctor looked her over and ordered some tests. He wanted to see how much damage if any she had from being in the coma. Then the nurse brought Catherine so both she and Bobby could hold her.  
  
Marie cried when she saw her daughter and gave her a kiss on her forehead. She handed her to Bobby and he cradled her in his arms gently. She smiled seeing them together, she knew Bobby would be a great father.  
  
After all the tests were completed the doctors said Marie would be able to go home in two days. And since Catherine was growing much faster than they expected she'd be able to go home as well.  
  
Bobby was so excited. He made sure to get the last things in the nursery ready before then. He put the baby seat in Marie's car and drove her car to work that day. He was glad when the day was over so he could get Marie and Catherine.  
  
Darien followed him out of the building, with Claire and Alex not far behind. None of them noticed the black van with tinted windows that was parked across the street.  
  
Anthony DuTier watched as the agents came out of the building and got in their cars. He'd followed Fawkes, and the two woman already and now he was going to follow the shorter bald man.   
  
He drove and kept back far enough to avoid drawing suspicion. He waited as the man went into the hospital and then came out with a woman and a child. He followed them back to a house and then jotted down the address before driving off.  
  
"Hello, Javier, I have what you requested," he spoke into his cell phone.  
  
"You know where all of his friends live?" Javier asked.  
  
"Yes, what do you wish me to do now?"  
  
"Start with the women, take them to my compound. Fawkes will rue the day that he betrayed me," Javier hissed into the phone.  
"Yes, sir."  
  
A/N: Javier was the terrorist in Den of Thieves. This is the last part for Joys and Sorrows. The story will be continued in Playing with Fire.  
  
Feedback is welcome... 


End file.
